Catherine McKenna said it's a good step toward carbon pricing.

REGINA — The Saskatchewan government has introduced a climate-change strategy that inches toward a price on carbon emissions, but leaves large parts of its economy untouched.

And it doesn't include a carbon tax, which Environment Minister Dustin Duncan was happy to point out Monday.

"I believe it will achieve as much, if not more than, a carbon tax ever would," Duncan said after introducing the plan.

It calls for performance standards on facilities that emit more than 25,000 tonnes annually of carbon dioxide equivalent. Facilities that exceed their limit will have to pay.

I believe it will achieve as much, if not more than, a carbon tax ever would.Dustin Duncan

They will be able to buy carbon offsets from farmers or foresters, a carbon credit from another company with emissions under its allotment or pay into a provincial fund.

The standards are to be developed next year, Duncan said.

"We want to see the economy continue to grow and, for some industries, that means that their emissions will grow. It's not a cap-and-trade program where we're capping absolutely the amount of emissions."

Duncan said standards will recognize investments companies have already made to reduce their emissions, something the energy industry has been lobbying for.

No goals or targets

The document contains no goals or targets and doesn't include estimates of how much greenhouse gas emissions are expected to be reduced. There is an undated pledge to have SaskPower, a Crown-owned utility, generate half its electricity from renewables.

"They're going to great pains to say they're not doing carbon pricing and then implementing a policy which, everywhere else it's implemented, is called carbon pricing," said University of Alberta energy economist Andrew Leach.

The biggest hole in Saskatchewan's plan is its limited scope, said Leach.

"They're not touching their transportation, home heating, commercial and industrial energy use at all with this policy."

Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec all have more inclusive plans, he said.

Leach also noted the government hasn't specified how high the emissions standards will be. Too high, he said, and carbon becomes worthless and few emissions will be cut.